We are all looking for a purpose in existing. Those of us who are lucky may find it in a career path; an insatiable passion that can – if you work hard enough and have adequate talent – can result in monetary success and fulfilled ambition. This is a well documented journey, the tale of rags to riches. But what comes after that? After you’ve fulfilled that initial desire and defied the expectations enforced onto you by society? Well, multi-platinum Michigan rapper NF has been dealing with such a dilemma.
There is no reason why NF would be due to prosper anymore than anyone else. But he had the talent, a vitality for excelling and a collaborative relationship with producer Profitt that helped him achieve his vision. His accolades are greatly impressive – from sold out tours to highly charting LP’s, the rapper has quietly built one of the most significant rap careers of the last decade. He has, however, found himself at a crossroads of late. There’s pressure in success and success in pressure, and right now NF is dealing with the former. How can you keep topping yourself, keep improving your craft, elevating your sound, whilst remaining true to the core fan base and appealing to a wider public census? With HOPE.
His sixth studio album finds NF in nuanced reflection. He knows how to talk about his feelings better than ever, moving through the phases with ease and a sentimental sensibility. There is still freshness a brew though; whether in the forward thinking production or the playful experimentation of the rapper’s flow and cadence, this is as textured and mature as we have heard NF. From the emotional resonance of “MAMA” to the searing satirism in “MOTTO”, there is depth to the themes that the rapper wallows in, guiding us through the opening chapter to the next phase of his artistry with an outstretched hand.
We had the pleasure of meeting NF for a revealing conversation about self confidence, his changing opinions on success, his view of happiness, and the triumphant new album.
Listen to HOPE…
Read the full interview…
Who and what influences you?
I’ve talked about it a lot, but Eminem was definitely a huge influence. In music, I don’t know if I’ll ever get that feeling back of when I played his music for the first time when I was like 15. I think most people have that with some artists. So I would say definitely Eminem was my biggest influence. And then as I got a little bit older, I started listening to Ed Sheeran. I’m glad I started listening to a lot of different styles of music because I feel like that really impacted my sound as well. Instead of just rapping, I was like, oh, I want to try to sing. I like the acoustic guitar as well. What if I mixed that with this rap song and then tried to do this? I love movies too. I love movie trailers and emotional music. Yeah, the combination. I really feel like that, that helped my career a lot – me wanting to do different styles.
How did you first develop that passion for music and creativity?
I think I realised writing about my life was an outlet. I just fell in love with it. I was just so passionate about it. I used to record myself on a karaoke machine in my room. I’d take one mic and put it up to a CD, like my CD player playing the beat and then I would rap into the other mic and record it on like a tape. I missed some of those feelings that you get at the beginning and it’s hard to get it back. I don’t think you’ll ever get back the exact feeling. I think you can get some of that and I think I should work on that. I’m always so stressed about the future. Sometimes I don’t take a second to enjoy what I’m doing. I struggle to do that, to take a step back sometimes is hard. That feeling of playing for 300-500 fans in a packed little room is incredible. I would encourage any artists – if you’re in that phase of coming up – to cherish it.
How do you still find the drive to create bodies of work?
I think I just let the music bring stuff out to me. So if I feel that if I get the right instrumental, it’ll bring out whatever I’m feeling. Music is so powerful. IIf you’re sitting in a restaurant, that’s why they play fast music and fast food spots, right? It’s like your brain just starts. It makes people move quicker sometimes. Music moves me when I’m writing where it’s like; if you play a sad piano, I’ll probably have a memory pop up and then I kind of just try to let that lead where I go.
So the music almost dictates the emotions?
Yeah, people ask me all the time – what comes first, the lyrics or the music? I hate writing without the music and then putting the music to what I write. I’m terrible at it. I’ve tried to do it. Too many times. Every once in a while. I’ll have a song that works like that but most of the time it never works. When I hear a beat. I’m flowing to what the music’s doing, I’m playing off the music. When you write a song, when you’re trying to make a beat flow with what you’re doing, you can do it more obviously.
How did you find the sound? How did you carve your own space in the market?
I think just working with my friend [Profitt] who loved the same stuff. He didn’t even really listen to rap, but he loves cinematic music and he’s just a musician. He doesn’t just make beats like he knows how to play instruments. I think the duo of me and him really was the perfect combination. You can put me on a normal rap beat and it’d be a cool song but there’s something different about a musical piece mixed with rap. So I would give a lot of credit to just our combination.
Have you always worked with Profitt?
Yes, since 2014. My whole career, basically,
The process now must be like clockwork when you get into the studio together?
We’re both so busy, both of our careers took off. The more records you make, the harder it is honestly, because you’ve done so much that you’re like, how do we make something new, but also not completely abandon the sound that we’ve shaped for ourselves? So it’s actually harder. I’m just trying to figure out some things creatively, because I want to feel excited about what I do. I definitely am, in some ways, but I always felt like I could do better. Sometimes that just hinders my creativity, because I’m so obsessed with whether it’s good enough. Once you start thinking too much, then your artistry takes a dive, because you’re overthinking it instead of just letting it happen. My best songs? I just let them happen.
You’ve achieved monumental success – is there a pressure to continue that?
100% I always want to one up the last thing I did. Sometimes it feels frustrating and you’re also trying to captivate the minds of people who might have been in a different place than you or later on in life. Someone might have heard a record of mine four years ago and they still feel that way about that record. Then they play this new album and they’re like – oh, there’s not as many songs I relate to because they’re not in that place anymore. They are in a good place now, or maybe it will feel hopeful. I think the one thing I’ll say about this record is that I really wish I wish I didn’t overthink it
I think it’s impossible not to in a sense.
Yeah. I think it’s healthy to think about it, but I think there’s a line of overthinking where you’re just making it worse. Like you’re not creating art anymore. You’re so paranoid about everything. You’re just like changing everything.
When you get to that stopping point, do you ask for advice or do you have to figure it out yourself?
I think both. I think you have to ask people you trust, ask their opinions. At the end of the day, what I want to work on is my own confidence in knowing what I’m doing. I can live with putting a record out and saying, I think it’s amazing even if other people don’t think so. I definitely have circles of people that I get honest opinions from. No sugarcoating. Because also you get in the weeds. I’ve heard the song 10,000 times and you’ve never heard it. When somebody hears something for the first time, you love it. then a month later, you’ve listened to it 10,000 times and you’re over it. That’s how it is making music for me. I’ve heard this record for two years. I’m sick of listening. But you do get a new fresh energy when you release it because you get to see people listening too.
How are you feeling about the release?
I’m just ready for it to be out. The process was so long. I have some songs that I’m really excited about. I think “MAMA” is gonna be huge. A really impactful song in a positive way. If you follow my story, I just think it’s gonna be cool to see the growth. My last song about my mom was like, six or seven years ago and I think it’s gonna be cool for fans to hear that story. You’re always learning and growing. I feel like that song is powerful. Like, it’s still emotional, but it’s weird, it’s kind of like a happy emotion. I don’t know how to describe it.
Have you always written with such emotional brevity is that something that you’ve developed and nuanced as you’ve gone along?
I think it came naturally to me, because I loved listening to music like that. I loved listening to emotional music or music where I really felt, that’s why I loved Eminem, or love, Eminem. I know he liked to mess around and stuff. But you could tell sometimes how serious he was, you believed what he was saying. I feel like that was something that impacted me because I think that’s why my music has done well. It’s not because I’m like the best rapper ever. It’s because when you hear certain songs of mine, you can feel like – oh, he really felt this thing. It’s not like an act. It’s like a real thing that I was experiencing, you know, on the road, and I think people can feel that.
On tracks like “MOTTO” there’s a defiance against the industry and the expectation. Do you feel boxed, and has your mindset about success changed as your career has gone on?
Yes. 100% I think when you start, you really don’t know anything you think you know. To me, being a successful artist is touring. Like, if you can sell out tours, you’ve made it whether you’re doing 500, 5000 or 50000 people. In the music industry one of the biggest things I learned was there’s perception of how big an artist is, and then how big they actually are. I think there’s a lot of artists that, if you put me and them in a room, the average person might say, ‘Oh, that person is bigger than me but they’re not. They can’t do as big shows or have as big numbers as me. And it’s not like I’m saying I’m better. The huge thing I learned was that I’m okay with being a behind the scenes artist. Like I’m in the industry, my numbers kind of speak for themselves. I’ll probably never get a Grammy, it is what it is. I’d much rather sell out an arena tour then get a Grammy.
Do you think social media has changed the way we see artist’s success?
Yeah definitely. Who cares if you got 10 million followers? It’s way better to have a million followers and have 100,000 people that are very engaged than to have 5 million followers and have 10,000 people.
Yeah, the industry is evolving so much all the time right now.
feel like it’s harder than ever iIf you’re a new artist. When I came out, I think streaming was like 30% of the market. Everything was so different. Records still sold. Now it’s completely shifted. It’s very hard to keep people engaged and have that longevity. And like I said, I think the moment that you’ve made it is when someone is willing to not just put you on their playlist or watch your video, they actually go to your show. Kids are having this big moment on Tik Tok or Instagram, and then they can’t get another song to do the same. It’s not because they’re not writing other good songs. It’s just shifting. .
What state of mind do we find you in on the new album?
Um, I think I’m still trying to grow as a person. I think after having a kid I’m the most self aware I’ve ever been. But I still am on a journey of change. I really do struggle with change, it makes me uncomfortable. I’ve been this way for so long. That’s why I got a song on the album called “HAPPY”. It’s kind of an interesting song because the music feels upbeat and it doesn’t feel depressing, but then you actually listen to the words and it is kind of depressing, because it’s like, I don’t know who I’d be if I was happy. Would I even be myself anymore? I feel stressed all the time. I feel depressed. Sometimes I want to be in a dark place or I want to just be alone. It’s like that becomes so natural. Everybody would say they want to be happy and yeah I want to be happy. When you actually sit down and think about that, it’s like, is that going to change? It is difficult for me because my music has always been so emotional. So I’m just like, what am I gonna write about? Being content? But that’s overthinking. Just because you become a happy person doesn’t mean you don’t have any bad days.
What would you define as happiness?
An experience I have where I feel a lot of joy. Sometimes with my family. Because of what I do for work I’ve been able to really bless my family. That was a thing for me. I can’t even describe it. Maybe that’s more joy. I don’t know joy from happiness. It’s kind of all in the same lane. There’s just a feeling I get in my chest sometimes, sounds corny but I don’t know how to explain it. To help my family or be with my family. The excitement of seeing my son. Once you have a kid, it’s a game changer. There’s really no feeling like it till you have kids.
What is the overall kind of message that you are saying on the album?
It’s the start of a new chapter of me trying to figure things out. I think all my albums have kind of been a journey. I think there’s some growth on the record, but I think there’s still a lot of areas I can grow in. After every record I do, I’m always thinking about the next record. I just want to improve and get better. The more growth I feel in my real life, the more I think you’ll see that music. Sometimes it takes a while for that to catch up. Sometimes a song I might release a song having written it a year and a half ago. I might have already grown or come out of that place.
The eternal curse of the artist. Music is a process.
People are dropping songs every day. Maybe I’m just getting old. I feel like I should probably drop some more singles and stuff and keep energised creatively to do that, but also I feel like you want people to feel a little excited that you’re dropping.
I think being an album artist is still the pinnacle.
I’m just curious how many artists are going to do it, because if you’re a new artist right now, are you even making a record? I feel like it’s a singles game. Make an amazing video, get it mixed and mastered the right way. Nowadays you make an album, nobody knows who you are. It’s like you need a single to blow up before making on.